


Protect Your Magic (User)

by purewanderlust



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Accidental Kissing, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Awkward Conversations, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Found Family, M/M, Pre-Canon, Pre-Slash, Prompt Fill, Recovered Memories, Sparring, Unresolved Sexual Tension, talking about feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-21 08:57:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21296864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purewanderlust/pseuds/purewanderlust
Summary: Short oneshots filling the prompts for Taagnus week 2019!
Relationships: Magnus Burnsides/Taako
Comments: 18
Kudos: 71
Collections: The Taagnus Week Collection





	1. Day 1: Talking About Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako stays up late. Magnus wants to talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set after Murder on the Rockport Limited.

"Please don't make me talk about my feelings."

Magnus freezes. Taako is sitting cross-legged on the turf near the edge of the moonbase, staring out towards the lights of Neverwinter below. At first, Magnus doesn't know how the elf even heard his approach, then he sees that Taako's long ears are swiveled back towards him like hyper-alert anntenae.

"I wasn't--" he starts to protest, but Taako snorts and cuts him off.

"C'mon, my dude, I'm not a  _ complete  _ idiot. It's four in the morning--prime human sleeping hours--and you've been lurking for a good three minutes. You've clearly got something to say." He still hasn't turned around, his whole body tense with anticipation.

Magnus feels an odd sense of deja vu. Have they had this conversation before? When he tries to think about it, there's a weird buzzing in his head that makes it hard to concentrate. He shakes off the feeling. 

"Yeah, well, maybe I do want to talk about it," he concedes, approaching his roommate with some caution. Taako looks up at him. He's always been beautiful, but something about the silver moonlight on his carefully blank expression makes him seem even more ethereal.

"Do we have to?"

Magnus frowns and sits down next to him. "You're the one who kissed  _ me _ !"

"It was a heat of the moment thing!" Taako protests, "N-b-d!"

Wisely, Magnus chooses not to respond. He remembers the feel of Taako's fists twisted in his tunic, yanking him forward, and the brief, warm press of his mouth. He can perfectly picture the startled look on Taako's face as he pulled away, like even he was taken off guard by his actions.

When the silence starts to stretch out between them, Taako heaves a massive sigh that blows his bangs out of his face, ears drooping. He looks tired, and Magnus abruptly remembers that he's over a hundred years old.

"You almost died today, Burnsides.  _ Excuse moi _ for expressing my...relief that you didn't." Taako says haughtily. 

Magnus cracks a grin. "Are you saying you care about me?"

Taako looks absolutely horrified. "I most certainly am not! I'm just saying don't jump off of trains like an idiot."

"We all jumped off the train," Magnus feels compelled to point out.

"Well, you did it badly. Be more careful." Taako grumbles.

"Because you caaaaaaare," Magnus singsongs. "You liiiiiiike me."

"I won't stand for this slander," Taako snaps, starting to get to his feet. Before he's thought about it, Magnus reaches out and grabs Taako's wrist, pulling him back down. To his surprise, the elf doesn't resist.

"Don't go," he says quietly. "I'll stop teasing. Just...sit with me for a while?"

"Fine, but only because I have nothing better to do." He pulls his knees up to his chest and slumps sideways, a warm weight against Magnus' side. As Magnus gingerly puts an arm around his waist, he slants a glare up at him. "This isn't cuddling, just to be clear."

"'Course not," Magnus agrees as Taako settles more heavily against him.

He desperately wants to talk about it; about the kiss that felt so familiar, like coming home after a century on the road. He wants to tell Taako how much he trusts him and how much he cares, even though he's only known this strange, mercurial elf for a couple months. It feels like they've already known each other for a lifetime, and it's all Magnus can think about lately.

But he knows that Taako isn't ready to have that conversation. And he knows--even this early in their friendship--that forcing him to talk about it now will send Taako running for the hills. So he snuggles in a little closer, tightening his grip and smiling as he hears Taako's breathing slow as he drifts off to sleep, his head resting lightly against Magnus' shoulder. 

All in all, it's still a pretty good place to be.


	2. Day 2: Recovered Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako remembers. Magnus tries not to freak out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set immediately after the battle on The Day of Story and Song.

The thing about suddenly regaining a century's worth of memories in the middle of the apocalypse is that there's not a whole lot of time to process.

Taako drinks the voidfish's ichor and spends the next few minutes trying to breathe around the gaping wound of his forgotten twin sister. Then, suddenly, Lup is back, and it's possible that the emotional whiplash will kill him.

After that they have to save the entire fucking multiverse, and he loses the thread for a while. 

It's only after the fact, watching Angus shout their victory from Magnus' broad shoulders, that he remembers.

_ "I love you, Taako. I'm gonna love you for the rest of my life, and it's okay if you're not ready to say it back--" _

_ "Shut up, Mags, you dingus. Of course I love you too. Gods. Can we please be done with these big gross declarations now?" _

The memory hits him with the force of a freight train. Taako feels a brief moment of solidarity with Jenkins' garden as he reels in shock, barely managing to stay upright. He must make some sort of noise, because Magnus turns to look at him. As soon as their eyes meet, the fighter turns white as a sheet.

Taako turns tail and runs.

He has no idea where he's even going, so he runs to the only familiar place within sight: the Starblaster. Halfway up the gangplank, he hears heavy footfalls behind him. Of course Magnus has followed him. Panicked he darts into his and Lup's old quarters and slams his palm down on the door mechanism. Miracle of miracles, even after the day this old ship has had, it slides shut and the lock clicks into place.

Seconds later, there’s pounding from the other side of the door.

“Taako, let me in!” Magnus shouts. 

“Nah, I don’t think I will, actually.” He casts his gaze around the room without even knowing what he’s looking for. It looks exactly as it did when he lived here; bric-a-brac and accoutrement covering every surface on his side of the room, shards of colored glass and gemstones tied with ribbon and hanging from the ceiling. There’s several pots and jars cluttered on the vanity, full of makeup and oils that haven’t been touched in over a decade. The sheets on Lup’s bed are still thrown back, like she just got up to make breakfast, and there are precarious stacks of books and clothes  _ everywhere _ . But none of it will help him deal with this shit. His head is pounding with the weight of a hundred years of memories, and his heart is fluttering like a frightened bird in his chest.

“We gotta talk about this,” Magnus says from the other side of the door. He’s stopped banging, thankfully, but he clearly has no intention of leaving. 

“Says who?” Taako snaps, “Is there some sort of BoB memory-regained debrief that I’m expected to attend? No way, José. Taako is  _ done _ !”

Magnus sighs. “Please let me in?” His voice is so quiet and resigned that it makes Taako’s chest physically ache. Still, he doesn’t approach the door.

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” he mutters in a rare fit of honesty. 

“I don’t think either of us know what to say,” Magnus answers. “But maybe we could figure it out together.”

Taako bites his lip. Memories of a solitary life, meticulously constructing a protective wall around himself are at war with these old-new memories of his sister, his time on the Starblaster, his _family_. People who loved him, people who he learned to trust. And Magnus is there in both sets, relentlessly tearing down Taako’s walls, no matter how high he tries to build them.

He opens the door.

Magnus looks cleanly surprised for a moment, before he gets control of his expression. “Can I come in?” 

Silently, Taako steps to the side and lets him enter the room. He watches as Magnus’ eyes take in the space, a small nostalgic grin tugging at the corner of his lips. After a few moments, he sits gingerly on the edge of Lup’s unmade bed. Taako hesitates, then sits down across from him, on his own bed. They stare at each other across the gap of three feet, twelve years. 

“So,” says Magnus.

“So,” Taako echoes.

“Is it weird if I say this doesn’t surprise me as much as it should?” 

Taako cocks his head. “What do you mean?” 

“Just that from the moment I met you for the first time--what I thought was the first time--I’ve just wanted to know you more and more.” Magnus shrugs. “Junior might have erased you from my mind, but...I don’t think they could erase you from my heart.”

Taako charitably doesn’t tell him how cheesy that sounds. “So what, are you telling me you’ve been secretly in love with me since Phandalin? That’s weird, dude.” 

“No, I don’t…” Magnus trails off, frustrated. “It wasn’t like that, at first. I was just fascinated by you. And you were so closed off and it felt  _ wrong _ , like you should trust me more and I wanted to earn that trust really, really badly.”

“At first?” Taako asks and Magnus’ face turns a brilliant shade of red. 

“I mean, I’ve had...thoughts lately. Before Refuge, I still wasn’t able to think about anyone but Julia--”

Taako flinches back like he’s just been doused with a bucket of ice water. They’ve come to the crux of the issue, the whole reason Taako had fled in the first place. “You got married.” He doesn’t mean for it to come out accusatory, but it’s been a very long day and he’s so damn tired.

“You found someone, too,” Magnus points out, no judgment in his gruff voice.

Taako flattens his ears back against his head. He thinks of Kravitz and his soft-spoken ways, of the kiss they’d shared just hours before. “Yeah, it’s messy as fuck. So what’s the point in talking about this? You can’t unburn a bridge. What do you want me to do, dump my boyfriend? ‘Oh sorry, I had a love affair that spanned literal decades but I forgot about it before I ever even met you?’” If Krav doesn’t dump him first, that is. Since everyone in every universe knows all of his business now, it’s not like this thing between him and Magnus is a secret. _Gods_.

Magnus frowns. “Of course not! You love Kravitz and I’m so, so happy that you found each other.” 

Taako searches his face and sees only earnestness. Shame threatens to overwhelm him. He’s being unfair. “I--I’m glad you found Julia, too. I didn’t mean--”

“I know. It’s just...kind of a lot we’re dealing with right now?” Magnus huffs out a laugh. 

“Yeah, a whole helluva lot.” 

They lapse into silence for a long moment. For a few blissful minutes, Taako is able to silence his thoughts and just breathe. 

Finally, Magnus rises and comes to sit next to him. He takes Taako’s hand in both of his own, holding on so gently it makes Taako’s chest ache.

“Listen,” he says. “I don’t know where any of this leaves us, or what we should do next. But I do know what I _don’t_ want to happen. I don’t want you to disappear on me because it’s easier.”

Taako wants to argue that he wouldn’t do that, but the last half hour is pretty damning evidence against him. “Okay, fair.” He pauses, afraid to ask the obvious question. “But...what does that make us to each other?”

Magnus doesn’t hesitate. He never does. “People who love each other,” he says instantly. “We can figure out the details later. For now, I think we deserve to celebrate this victory with our friends and family. What do you think?”

Taako feels a rush of fondness for him. He laces their fingers together and smiles. “I think that sounds just about perfect.” 


	3. Day 3: Fake Dating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Director gets some bad intelligence. Magnus and Taako play pretend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set somewhere between Petals to the Metal and Crystal Kingdom.

“I’ll ask you one more time,” the tiefling snarls, raising his dagger to point it into Magnus’ face. “What are you doing here?”

Magnus has a quick, uncharitable thought about The Bureau and the distinct lack of intelligence they’d received in their mission briefing, and then Taako grabs his hand and laces their fingers together. He leans towards the tiefling, seemingly unconcerned with the way the knife swings towards him and offers a huge, fake smile.

“It’s date night! My sugar bun promised me that we would find a good place to eat--you’re not reservation only, are you?”

Magnus is so preoccupied with how close Taako is to the knife that he doesn’t register his words at first. When he does, it takes every ounce of his self-control to keep the shock from showing on his face. The tiefling glances up at him, clearly suspicious, so Magnus does the only thing he can think to do, and goes along with it. He wraps an arm around Taako's waist and pulls him gently back to his chest, which has the added benefit of getting him away from the knife.

"Only the best for my sweetheart," Magnus says with a shy grin.

The tiefling eyes them for a few more tense seconds, then steps to the side. His pasted-on smile looks more like a grimace.

"Sit wherever you like, a barkeep will be with you shortly."

Taako flounces towards a table near the back of the room and since he's still holding Magnus' hand, he has no choice but to follow. He can feel the tiefling's glare at his back. Thank gods for Taako's quick thinking. And thank Pan in particular that they'd split up, because Merle  _ definitely _ would've blown their cover.

"Sweetheart, huh?" Taako says, bringing him back to the moment. "I have to admit, that's tamer than I would've expected your nicknames to be." His voice is light and casual, but he’s playing with Magnus’ fingers on top of the table and his gaze is just slightly over his shoulder. They’re still being watched.

“It seemed right?” he hazards. It’s certainly not what he called Julia, but with Taako pressed to his chest, it just felt like the correct word for some reason.

“You did very good, bubeleh.” Taako gives him a rare smile. “Way to say yes.” He’s still tracing lines on Magnus’ palm with his slender fingers and it’s a little bit distracting. Magnus forces himself to focus.

“So, now what?”

Taako’s brow furrows. “We pretend to be on a date for as long as it takes Merle to search the back for the Philosopher's Stone or whatever, then we get the fuck out of here.”

Magnus nods. It’s really the only thing they can do. The tavern is full of ruffians, and they’re armed to the teeth. Stealth is their best bet. 

“I’m just following your lead. It’s been quite some time since I’ve been on any kind of a date.”

Taako slants a look at him from under long eyelashes. “Yeah?” His voice is unusually hesitant. Magnus has told him a little bit about Julia, but not much. Taako’s never pried for more.

He shrugs. “Not since I left Ravensroost.” He feels a little exposed under Taako’s scrutiny, but the elf just nods thoughtfully and then grins.

“Guess I’ll have to give you the full Taako experience, then! It’s your first date in like six years, and you’re lucky enough to bag yourself the hottest elf in town.”

Magnus laughs, the tension dissipating like morning fog. “Lucky me.” 

“Ahem,” a brawny human woman is suddenly standing over their table. “What do you want to drink?” 

“Ale for me,” Magnus says automatically. “And, uh, a glass of your finest red wine for my beautiful date!” 

The woman rolls her eyes and shuffles away. As soon as she’s gone, Taako turns to him and waggles his eyebrows.

“Aww, you think I’m beautiful?” 

“Well, you are.” Magnus says, a touch defensively. To his surprise, the tips of Taako’s ears turn pink. He recovers quickly, mouth curving into a smirk.

“ _ I _ know that. I just wasn’t sure if  _ you _ knew that.”

What is Magnus supposed to say to that? Of course he’s noticed--everyone notices Taako. How could they not? It doesn’t necessarily have to mean anything, even if Magnus has been noticing more and more lately.

He’s saved from coming up with a response by the arrival of their drinks. As Taako interrogates the barkeep about their menu, he takes a massive swig of ale and finds it makes him feel only marginally better.

The woman storms away, Taako picks up his glass and swirls it absently. “We’re going to be lucky if anything from their kitchen is edible,” he comments.

Magnus shrugs. “I’ll eat pretty much anything.”

“I know, it’s disgraceful. If you’d ever had my cooking, you’d never settle again.” 

“You could cook for me sometime,” Magnus suggests before he’s even thought about the implications of his words. Taako almost upends his wine glass on the table. “I--I don’t mean like a date, just. Um, we have a kitchen at the moonbase…”

Strangely, this doesn’t seem to reassure Taako in the slightest. His face is very pale. “I don’t think that would be a very good idea,” he says flatly. 

They lapse into a deeply uncomfortable silence. Taako’s gaze is a million leagues away and Magnus isn’t sure how to get him back. He swallows back the remainder of his drink and flags down the barkeep for another. 

She’s just set the tankard down in front of him when his stone of farspeech comes on with a crackling pop.

_ “Magnus? You there?” _

Taako’s expression flickers back to life. “I can’t  _ believe _ you didn’t put it on silent for our date!” he says shrilly. The barkeep’s eyes flick between them and she visibly makes the decision not to stick around for the impending argument, and books it back to the bar. 

“Thanks,” Magnus says in an undertone, then answers his stone. “Merle? What’s going on?” 

_ “I’m inside, but there’s guards at the vault that I can’t get past.” _

“I turned you invisible, old man, is that not good enough?” Taako hisses, leaning over the table towards Magnus to be heard.

_ “They’re right up against it. I’d have to be intangible too, and you didn’t cast anything like that,”  _ Merle retorts.  _ “Any chance you two can come up with a distraction that might draw them out into the tavern?” _

Magnus looks at Taako. “I got nothing. You?” 

A slow smile spreads across the elf’s face. “I think I have an idea. You better be fast, Highchurch.” He slips one of his many rings off and shoves it into Magnus’ hands. “Get down on your knees.”

“What?” 

“Down on your knees, do it now!” Taako shoves him out of his chair and for lack of a better idea, Magnus drops to his knees, automatically holding the ring up as if to present it to Taako. He hears a gasp from a couple of tables over, and it clicks.

“Taako,” he says, “Light of my world, love of my life…will you marry me?” 

The tavern is suddenly dead silent. Every eye in the room is on them. Taako lets out an ear-splitting scream of delight and the door behind the bar bursts open, two heavily armed half-orcs appearing.  _ Bingo. _

“Oh, Maggie!” Taako croons. “This is such a surprise!” 

“Don’t keep him in suspense,” shouts the tiefling doorman. “What’s your answer?”

“Yes, of course I’ll marry you!” Taako cries. From the corner of his eye, Magnus sees that the guards are still watching.

“What are you waiting for?” the barkeep demands, “Kiss him!” 

Magnus meets Taako’s eyes and raises an eyebrow in question. Taako grabs one of the straps on his cuirass and hauls him to his feet. “Make this look good.” 

Magnus kisses him. Taako’s lips part on a surprised exhale and he presses closer, dipping the elf low like some cheesy romance novel. Taako has his arms wrapped around Magnus’ neck tight as a vise, and he’s kissing back with enthusiasm. Considering it’s fake as hell, it’s a really good kiss. Taako is warm and soft, making breathy little noises against his mouth. It’s strangely familiar. There’s white noise filling Magnus’ head and he tightens his arms around Taako. When they finally break apart, his ears are ringing and he feels distinctly unmoored from reality. Taako looks similarly dumbfounded, but the other patrons of the tavern are going wild, cheering and applauding. 

“Let’s get out of here,” Taako mutters. He tosses a handful of coins down on the table and practically drags Magnus out of the pub while people hoot and holler in the background. 

They don’t speak as they head back to the rendezvous. Taako’s ears are twitching irritably and Magnus is trying hard not to touch his own lips. Merle is waiting for them next to the transport bubble, wearing a grim expression. 

“It wasn’t the real Philosopher's Stone, it was fake--Hey, what happened to you guys?” 

Taako doesn’t answer, already halfway into the seating compartment. Magnus turns to Merle.

“It was fake? After all that?” 

“Yeah, sorry kiddo. Apparently The Director had some bad intelligence. Are you boys okay?”

Magnus glances up and sees Taako staring back at him. He looks confused and exhausted, ears drooping and face pale. He clearly does not want to talk about it. Magnus gives him what he hopes is a reassuring smile, and turns back to Merle.

“Yeah, we’re fine.” 


	4. Day 4: Modern AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako has a crush. Lup gets involved. Magnus buys a cookie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what's wrong with me, I hear "modern AU" and then I write a coffeeshop AU.

Taako is having a crisis.

"He's so hot, Lulu!" He moans, slumping dramatically against the counter. "And he comes in here  _ every day _ . It's a travesty!"

"The real travesty is that you're making me listen to this shit without giving me coffee first," Lup retorts, eyeing the cups he abandoned under the espresso machine. 

Taako makes a whining noise, but she remains unimpressed. "Fiiine." He pushes off the counter and goes to finish her latte. "Bossy."

He glances around to make sure his boss isn't watching and then steams the milk with a flick of his wrist. Lucretia is particular about not making customers' drinks with magic, but Lup hardly counts as a customer, does she?

"I'm going on break," he calls over his shoulder. Killian nods, abandoning a sinkful of dishes to take over the counter. The bell over the door dings as a pair of halfling college students enter and make a beeline for the counter. Taako grabs the two coffees and joins his sister at a table she's claimed near the door.

"I mean it, Lup!" He tells her as he hands her the latte and flops down across from her. "It's driving me crazy. You know last time he was here, he asked for an  _ application _ ? If I have to work with him every day, I'm gonna die!" The bell over the door dings again and he sighs because at this rate he's gonna have to cut his break short.

Lup's ears perk up and a mischievous grins crosses her face. "Ooh, workmance!"

"No, didn't you hear me? It will kill me!"

"Because he's so hot?" she prompts.

"He looks like a sexy lumberjack," Taako grumbles. "I wanna climb him like a tree!"

Someone clears their throat behind him and his ears immediately swivel towards the sound. Lup's grin widens and he turns around in his chair, dread mounting.

Magnus Burnsides, aforementioned sexy lumberjack and Taako's no-longer-secret crush is standing right next to their table. His face is scarlet. Taako doesn't even want to imagine what his own looks like.

"Hey, Taako," he says awkwardly. "Hi, Lup."

Taako spins back around so quickly he almost falls out of his chair. "You know him?!"

Lup looks like all her dreams are coming true right in front of her eyes. "He and Barry play on the same softball team."

"I'm gonna kill you," Taako mouths, but her smile only grows. He turns back to Magnus. "Killian is running the counter right now, if you want a drink."

"Yeah, I'm headed that way. I just wanted to say hello first." He smiles uncertainly at Taako. To his horror, the elf feels his own lips twitch towards a smile too.

"Well, hello." Magnus beams at him and he scowls back. "Go get your shitty pumpkin latte, you weirdo."

As soon as Magnus is out of earshot, Taako whips back around to face his sister. "I cannot  _ believe  _ you!" 

She giggles. "C'mon, Koko, it's pretty obvious he's got a big ole crush too. Just ask him out! What've you got to lose?"

Taako glares at her. "Only every ounce of my dignity."

Lup shakes her head. "Your loss, I guess." She takes a sip of her coffee, looking super casual. "Y'know, before he knew you were my brother, he told Barry about the cute elf barista at his favorite cafe."

Taako rolls his eyes. "That could be anybody." He's not sure who he's trying to convince. From the way Lup rolls her eyes, it's clear she's thinking the same thing.

Magnus reappears, a cup of coffee wrapped in one massive hand, a paper bag in the other. He gestures at Taako with it. "I have to get out of here, but I was wondering if you wanted half of this cookie? I don't need the whole thing."

"Sure, my dude, I never turn down free food." Taako answers, determined to act normal.

Magnus' face splits into a grin and he passes the bag over. "Cool, here you go! Have a great day, y'all!"

Before Taako can say anything, Magnus is gone. He glances down at the pastry bag in his hands. There, scrawled in surprisingly neat handwriting, is a message.

_ Wanna go out some time? Call me! _

Beneath is a phone number, and Magnus' name. 

Taako flushes to the tips of his ears, and Lup leans over to see. She starts cackling.

“Doesn’t that generally go the other way around? You’re supposed to write your number on the side of the cute boy’s coffee cup?”

“Shut up,” Taako says, but he’s grinning now too. He pulls out his phone and adds the number to his contact list. It’s a pretty good way to start the week.

The cookie isn’t half-bad, either.


	5. Day 5: Magic and Fighting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus does some training. Taako uses his skillset. Magnus learns a lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set during the Stolen Century, in the cycle where Taako learned to fight and Magnus learned magic.

“Hands up, Taako! You’re leaving your left side vulnerable!” 

Taako lifted his fists, pouting at Magnus. “This is stupid.”

“It won’t seem stupid if you end up wandless in the middle of a melee...again. Last time it got you killed.” Magnus lunged at Taako and the elf spun gracefully out of reach. “You’re pretty good at evasion at this point, can I see some offense?” 

Taako scowled. “What’s the point?”

  
“You’re not always going to be able to flip-wizard your way out of it,” Magnus reminded him. He feinted to the left and when Taako darted to the right he grabbed his arm and twisted it behind him, pulling him against his chest. Taako squeaked in surprise and Magnus took advantage of his distraction to secure his other arm. He could feel Taako’s heart pounding against his chest. “Especially if you’re facing more than one opponent.”

Taako flung his head back, barely missing Magnus’ nose. “Let go of me, you’ve made your point.” 

Magnus held fast. “Get free on your own. Let me see what you can do.”

Grumbling, Taako stomped on his foot, digging the heel of his boot into his toes. Magnus grunted in pain, grip slackening. Taako jabbed a pointy elbow directly into his ribs and yanked himself free, grinning triumphantly as he turned to face his opponent. "Ha!"

"Not bad," Magnus conceded, rubbing his side. He was gonna have a bruise tomorrow. " But you can do better." He dove forward, tackling Taako to the ground. 

Taako swore in elvish as the back of his head connected with the floor. He swung an arm up, but Magnus caught his wrist and pinned it to the ground. His knees bracketed Taako's narrow waist holding him in place. Their faces were close enough that Magnus could feel Taako’s panting breaths against his face. 

"Fuckin' giant," Taako growled, trying to squirm free. Magnus tightened his grip. 

"I don't think your enemies will be so obliging as to always be Taako-sized." he teased. The elf’s eyes narrowed into slits.

"Not--ugh, not every enemy is as huge as you either." Taako got one hand free and shoved at Magnus' chest with little success. He huffed an irritated breath. He looked thoroughly disheveled, white-blond hair spilling out of it’s braid, a faint sheen of sweat on his brow.

Magnus chuckled. "Can't wait to tell Lup how thoroughly I kicked your ass today."

"Only if you also tell her how shitty your excuse attempt at Prestidigitation was," Taako retorted, smirking. “At least I can light a candle without almost passing out.” 

"Big words from someone still pinned," Magnus pointed out.

“How exactly do you recommend I get you off of me, gigantor?” Taako whines, “I thought this was a teaching experience, not a competition.”

"There’s always going to be someone who’s more physically powerful than you,” Magnus answered. “You're gonna have to learn to play to your strengths.”

A grin spread across Taako's face. “Ah, I get it!” Before Magnus could ask what he meant, Taako surged up and kissed him. 

Magnus would be lying if he said he’d never thought about kissing Taako. But he’d also figured it was never gonna happen. Suddenly confronted with Taako’s lips on his, his tongue hot in his mouth, everything else kind of fell away. He let go of Taako’s wrist to get a hand in his hair, intending to pull him closer, which was about the point that Taako kneed him in the abdomen. Hard.

Wheezing, Magnus rolled off Taako and the elf sprang to his feet, pink-faced, but looking as pleased as the cat who got the cream. 

“What the hell was that for?” Magnus demanded from the floor, still trying to get his breath back.

Taako offered him a hand up. “You told me to play to my strengths, so I did.” He waggled his eyebrows at Magnus. “I’m a very good kisser.” 

Magnus thought agreeing might reveal too much, so he didn’t reply. “I don’t know how well that’s gonna work on the Hunger.” 

Taako smirked up at him through heavy-lidded eyes. “Don’t worry, big guy, I won’t try that technique on anyone else but you.” Before Magnus could even begin to come up with a response, he’d picked up his hat and sauntered out of the practice room without a backwards look. 

Magnus scrubbed a hand over his face, thinking about the feeling of Taako’s body under his, their mouths fused together. He groaned. 

“Oh man, I am so screwed.” 


	6. Day 6: (Second) First Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus looks for work. Taako opens up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set before the first episode of Gerblins. 
> 
> Day 6 was a free day, so I used one of the prompts I submitted that didn't get used.

Magnus squinted down at the leaflet in his hand, trying to make out the smudged handwriting. After glancing between it and the sign hanging over the pub door a few times, he shrugged and headed inside. He was relatively sure he was in the right place, anyway.

The interior of the pub was dark, noisy, and packed to the gills. He was supposed to meet his potential employer at the cornermost table, so he squeezed through the throng of drinkers gathered around the bar. As he approached, Magnus noticed someone was already sitting at the corner table.

An elf with choppy shoulder-length white-blond hair was sitting on the far side of the table with his back to the wall. He was wrapped almost protectively in a dark cloak, and the brim of his pointed hat was pulled low, knife-like ears barely peeking out from beneath. For all the effort he seemed to be going to in remaining unnoticed, Magnus could tell that he was stunningly beautiful, even more so than elves were usually known for. As Magnus approached the table, he looked up, hazel eyes narrowed warily.

"What."

Magnus smiled automatically, trying to appear non-threatening. "Hail and well-met! I don't suppose you are--" he referred to the leaflet again, "Gundren Rockseeker?"

The elf lifted a perfectly manicured eyebrow, a wry twist to his lips. "Considering as I'm not a dwarf, no."

Magnus glanced back down at the parchment. "Oh, uh. Didn't read that bit. Makes sense, a name like Rockseeker…" he felt his face growing red.

Oddly enough, this display of self-consciousness seemed to endear him to the elf more than his friendliness had. He pushes his hat back from his face and gave Magnus an appreciative once-over that only served to make him blush more. "You here about the gig, too, big guy?"

"Magnus," he replied, "Magnus Burnsides. And yes, I am."

The elf waved magnanimously, indicating that Magnus should take a seat, so he did. "It seems our host is a little late, but I imagine he'll be along shortly."

"Sorry, I didn't get your name?"

The elf hesitated for a moment, and then offered his hand. "Taako," he said. "Hail and well-met or whatever."

Magnus clasped his hand. His own hand nearly swallowed it up. "Pleased to meet you." He frowned, a weird sense of deja vu washing over him. "Have I...seen you somewhere before?"

Taako stiffened, retracting his hand. "No."

"I feel like I know you…"

"I mean, I did a little traveling show for a while. No big thing." He gave an unaffected shrug, but his tone was strangely terse.

Magnus did recall a show, but it didn't feel like that completely accounted for the strange sense of familiarity. That had to have been what he was thinking of, though. "Oh right! You did a cooking show in Ravens' Roost. My wife and I saw your demonstration."

The memory was a fond one. Julia was the one who had suggested going, but Magnus was the one who ended up being hypnotized by the performance, and by the chef. Even then, he remembered noticing Taako's beauty. Julia had teased him about his "crush" for weeks. The free meal had been delicious, too.

Taako did not look like it was a fond memory for him. "Yeah, well, I don't do that anymore. I'm an adventurer-for-hire now. It's a living, huh?"

Magnus nodded. "I like it."

"Your wife is cool with you disappearing on these big adventures all the time?"

Magnus swallowed. "Oh. She's, uh, she...passed away."

"Shit," Taako deadpanned. "I just shoved my entire foot in my mouth, huh?"

His response surprised a laugh out of Magnus. It was so unlike the reactions he usually got, all false platitudes and sorry-for-your-losses. It was actually kind of refreshing. The elf was oddly familiar to Magnus, even more than the one ships-passing encounter explained. He didn't feel like he was meeting him for the first time; it felt like he was reuniting with a dear friend after a long separation. The grin on Taako's face made him think the wizard maybe felt the same way.

"Honestly, there's no good way to bring it up," Magnus admitted. "I mistook you for a dwarf when I first got here. Maybe we're just shit conversationalists."

Taako snorted. "Well then we better hope this Rockseeker homie brings along somebody with more social graces, or this whole trip's gonna be a disaster."

"You must be Taako and Magnus," said a gravelly voice. "I'm Gundren Rockseeker. This is my bodyguard, Barry, and the third member of your party, Merle Highchurch."

Magnus looked from Gundren to the two men behind him. One, a tall and denim-clad human and the other a crunchy-looking dwarf cleric who looked like he had some leaves stuck in his beard. 

Magnus snuck a peek back at Taako. The elf was already looking back, lips twitching. "Never mind. We're doomed!"

They fell against each other, laughing. Despite what he'd said, Magnus was starting to think this gig might've been the best choice he'd made in a long time.


End file.
